title: Assessment of adjuvant trastuzumab-associated cardiac toxicity in korean patients with breast cancer: a single-center analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We performed this analysis to investigate the clinical presentation of trastuzumab-associated cardiac toxicity in Korean women.
  
  
  METHODS
  124 patients treated in a single institute from January 2006 to November 2011 with adjuvant trastuzumab therapy following primary surgery were identified from a database. We evaluated the cumulative incidence of cardiac toxicity, associated risk factors, and changes in cardiac function during trastuzumab treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of patients was 50 years (range 27-73). After 12 months of follow-up, the cumulative incidence of cardiac toxicity was 12.1% (grade I: 8.1%, grade II: 0.8%, grade III: 3.2%). In total, 4% of patients discontinued treatment due to cardiac dysfunction. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) recovered in all patients who discontinued or delayed treatment due to cardiac dysfunction following treatment discontinuation. The degree of the decrease in LVEF was large at 6 months after the initiation of treatment. A lower LVEF at baseline (<65%) was associated with cardiac toxicity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The low incidence of cardiac toxicity and the reversibility of cardiac dysfunction may validate the safety of trastuzumab treatment in Korean women with an acceptable baseline LVEF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chihwan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.forename: Sung Gwe
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Hak Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hak Woo
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seung Ah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Joon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jeong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012307:Risk Factors; D013318:Stroke Volume; D000068878:Trastuzumab; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000068878:Trastuzumab